COYOTES Starring: Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Mila Harris, Brittany Allen, Norbert Leo Butz, Katherine McNamara, and Keir O’Donnell Director: Colin Minihan This film has been reviewed by Quentin and Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of Fantastic Fest 2025. QUENTIN When making a horror movie (or, in this case, a horror comedy) where the villain is simply a bloodthirsty wild animal (meaning nothing supernatural or with inherent personality), you need at least one of two things: compelling characters that you want to root for or creatively over-the-top kills. Ideally, you’d have both. Sadly, Coyotes has neither. On top of that, the probably intentional B-movie aesthetic just looks cheap, like if the Hallmark Channel pivoted to horror. Frankly, there just isn’t much to recommend here. Neither the horror nor the comedy elements hit, which is especially noticeable with the sluggish pacing early on. NICK Creative kills, compelling characters, and big swings are ways to salvage a bad genre film. Coyotes has none of these. The performances are bland (especially Kate Bosworth), and there's just nothing new or ambitious here. Hell, even the coyotes aren't all that scary, as most of their attacks come from the fallout of incredibly dumb decisions, one after another, by every human being on screen. Do they, at least, acknowledge how dumb their actions are? Nope, because they seemingly want this to be taken somewhat seriously. It shouldn’t be. This doesn't work as a horror. This doesn't work as a comedy. This one just flat doesn't work.

HUSTLE Starring: Adam Sandler, Juancho Hernangomez, Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, Anthony Edwards, Kenny Smith, Robert Duvall, María Botto, and Jordan Hull Director: Jeremiah Zagar QUENTIN Just because Hustle isn’t reinventing the wheel - it’s basically Basketball Rocky - doesn’t mean that it isn’t a damn fine sports drama. It hits all the required beats of being inspirational and heartfelt, but wraps them in an authenticity and sincerity that elevates even the most predictable elements. Adam Sandler’s love for basketball is palpable in his performance, which is maybe the most natural of his career, and his easy chemistry with Juancho Hernangomez is remarkable. Flat out, Hustle is one of the best sports movies I’ve seen in probably a decade and the best basketball movie I’ve seen in who knows how long. AMARÚ Hustle is a feel good sports movie that may not rank as an upper echelon underdog story, but it will have you cheering nonetheless. Adam Sandler’s passion for the game is evident, looking like he just walked in from one of his viral pick-up games, three-month old beard and all, while mixing his comedic stylings with some dramatic intensity. However, he never strays too far in either direction. Juancho Hernangomez’s performance is surprisingly believable, and NBA star Anthony Edwards revels as the villainous rival. The NBA’s hands are all over this, sanctioning tons of roles and cameos, altogether making Hustle a journey to root for. JACOB The film itself never quite gets above average in its storytelling, but Hustle remains worth exploring for viewers, even if it’s only for its two leading performances. Not everything excels, but almost everything works. Adam Sandler’s career resurgence appears to be in full swing post-Uncut Gems , but while the titan of industry shows no signs of slowing down, his co-lead Juancho Hernangomez is hot on his heels. With enough real-world cameos to make it feel like Endgame for NBA fans, this film is still a showcase for the young star, and he puts on a damn good show. JOSEPH Hustle is definitely a sports film for sports fans, particularly basketball lovers, and it feels like a passion project that was crafted with love. At times, things feel tropey and familiar, with some clear homages to Rocky popping up, but the sharp, fast-paced editing makes for an exciting watch. Plus, Adam Sandler is an immediate Oscar contender for Best Actor, giving a performance that will easily go down as one of his best. As someone who doesn’t care for sports, I found my interest waning at parts, but I have to say, objectively, Hustle is one of the best sports films of all time. ADRIANO If you’re looking for something new, you won’t find it in Hustle . Thankfully, it’s so endearing and easy to fall for that I can forgive the film for that. Adam Sandler, once again, proves he’s a tremendous dramatic actor. His love of basketball is apparent, as this might be the most natural and least chaotic Sandler has ever been, and Juancho Hernangomez also gives an incredible performance in his acting debut. The film is extremely well edited and is clearly made with love and passion, which makes it hard not to get sucked into.

HOKUM Starring: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Florence Ordesh, Brendan Conroy, Mallory Adams, and Austin Amelio Director: Damian McCarthy NICK The one thing that really sticks out in director Damian McCarthy’s films is his ability to create a genuinely eerie atmosphere. Hokum is no different. Although McCarthy relies a little heavily on traditional jump scares here, he blends Irish folklore into his haunted house tale in a way that enhances the story. It also helps that Adam Scott's brand of “unlikable yet accessible to root for” is just what this story calls for. Hokum doesn’t reach the heights of McCarthy’s previous work, but it's a solid film that makes for the perfect rainy night ghost story. ROBERT What if Stephen King were trapped in one of his own novellas, and the only way out was an introspective look at his past and damaged psyche? That is the vibe Hokum set for me, which was reminiscent of Secret Window in a way, another Stephen King inspiration. The smallness and intimacy of the settings and the story don’t lend themselves to heart-attack-inducing moments, but they do ratchet up the unease and make you question everything you are seeing. This harkens back to a timelessness of suspense, where it could belong to any era, and it oozes creepiness and vulnerability… anything but hokum. KATIE Hokum is a deeply creepy, supernatural folk horror film driven by a compelling story. It’s full of effective jump scares that aren't cheap, but well-crafted and reliant on steadily and meticulously building tension and suspense. It makes excellent use of the secluded setting and confines of the hotel, and the cinematography grips your attention to solidify our point of view with the protagonist, leaving the audience as nerve-wracked as he is. Plus, Adam Scott is wonderfully unlikeable and convincing in the central role as the cynical alcoholic writer, Ohm, but also conveys the trauma that is barely concealed under the surface. ADRIANO Hokum is so off-putting, and not in the way it strives for. Writer/director Damian McCarthy clearly wants to make a film akin to the modern definition of “elevated horror”, but despite introducing folklore and themes of grief, it becomes a basic horror movie. All the tension results in a jump scare fest, and everything that happens all culminates in an ending that seems to intentionally pants itself. Now, am I saying Hokum ’s bad? No. It’s well-made, there is some good tension building, and the story is interesting. But it does not hit the heights it aims for.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES Starring: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Michaela Watkins, Aisha Hinds, Tim Baltz, Rupert Friend, and Nicole Byer Director: Kobi Libii ADRIANO The amount of potential squandered in The American Society of Magical Negroes needs to be examined by scientists. The film has a genuinely intriguing premise, but the film goes absolutely nowhere with its examination of race. It raises many questions, and has answers to none of them. What's more, the pacing is awkward, and the film is so sloppily written and directed that any entertainment value feels bogged down by its unclear world-building. I almost walked out of this theater on many occasions, but for some reason, I sat through this sluggish disaster until the bitter end. AMARÚ I love the recent trend of putting black people’s grievances front and center for all the whites to see, and The American Society of Magical Negroes , while plenty flawed, is another serviceable entry in this movement. I greatly appreciate the long overdue respect it gives the forever underutilized David Alan Grier, who helps compensate for the film’s narrative problems. Sure, there are glaring editing issues where items magically (and unintentionally) disappear, and scenes feel out of order or missing entirely; however, with Grier and Justice Smith fully committed to experiences they (and I) have lived, there’s enough punch to recognize the good within the mess.

THE CONJURING: LAST RITES Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Beau Gadsdon, Kila Lord Cassidy, Elliot Cowan, Rebecca Calder, and Steve Coulter Director: Michael Chaves KATIE Last Rites is the finale to one of my favourite horror franchises, even after the disappointing The Devil Made Me Do It. Thankfully, this is a huge improvement on that entry, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I’m very invested in Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), so I liked the time it spent on the family’s story and emotional side of their relationship. I expected more intensity, and it's more horror-drama than outright horror, but it does build tension and deliver a couple of good jump scares. ROBERT When a horror franchise promises an end, especially a franchise as successful as The Conjuring , you expect massive box office numbers, which Last Rites delivered for Warner Bros. However, this finale doesn't feel definitive, no matter what the opening scroll or epilogue suggests. I was promised some kind of shockwave for Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively) to get them to quit ghost hunting, but I was given another standard paranormal case, simply with more involvement from their family. It drags considerably too, trying to really drive home that the Warrens weren’t doing investigations anymore despite what we all knew. Bloated and uninteresting was not the exclamation point we deserved.

ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL Starring: Susan Chardy, Elizabeth Chisela, and Henry B.J. Phiri Director: Rungano Nyoni QUENTIN Have you ever watched a movie that you respect immensely even if you didn’t really enjoy the experience? On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is that type of movie. The messaging that abusers should be held accountable and that continuing to speak up even after being ignored is incredibly important. Plus, the representation of Zambian culture, tribal, and family dynamics is super enlightening. That said, this is not a movie I’d ever watch again, and I didn’t find my viewing experience to be personally rewarding. I did love the final shot, though. ADRIANO On paper, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl could have been one of the year's most talked about films, but something was lost in the execution. Well acted across the board, Rungano Nyoni wrote and directed this film with a very unique lens, leaning heavily into absurdism in its approach to toxic familial relations and the dark secrets that lurk underneath. That said, a lot of the absurdism winds up being less poignant and more confusing, resulting in a film that winds up being kinda messy and unclear on exactly what it wants to say. I respect the swings, but this was mostly a miss. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S 2 Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Freddy Carter, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, and Skeet Ulrich Director: Emma Tammi ROBERT A movie being bad does not preclude it from being entertaining, but if it meanders without much to say — or is just set up for a future film — it commits a mortal sin of cinematics. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 should be cast into the seventh circle of movie Hell as it hits every pain point. I think the first film is engaging for a PG-13 horror effort, and it had real stakes for the characters. This one is poorly acted, terribly scripted, and had me asking silly logistical questions throughout instead of holding my focus to the action. Please, no more nights at Freddy’s. ADRIANO This feels like low-hanging fruit, but Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is such an embarrassment. Like the first film, it's a hollow joke of a horror film with no tension or narrative cohesion. Now, if you're a long-time fan of the games and you love hearing the names you already know, then have at it, because that's all you get as it ditches the easy-to-adapt terror of the games for nonsense. These are horror films designed for children at the end of the day, and if the non-ending cliffhanger is any indication, we may have to suffer through more of these disasters.

SEND HELP Starring: Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien Director: Sam Raimi ADRIANO The moments in Send Help where writer/director Sam Raimi goes full tilt into his wheelhouse of campy ultra-gore were the most fun. The moments in between, however, not so much. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are excellent, both showing off outstanding comedic chops. And as much as I found the psychological breakdown of these characters lacklustre, it was entertaining enough to hold my attention throughout. The conversations that populate the majority of the runtime were dull, and the eat-the-rich twisty narrative is getting old, but it’s exciting to see Raimi cook nonetheless, even if this isn’t his finest hour. ROBERT While the climax and the inevitable violence is where horror thrillers make their money, the subtlety of the characters’ descents into madness is where the intrigue is built. Send Help takes the concept of corporate power dynamics and subverts it for a real-life survival situation, sold impeccably by the performances of Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. How their real-life relationship plays into their island interactions, in addition to all of writer/director Sam Raimi's bloody, eye-popping decadence, is what makes this unique and an upper-echelon January release. I would put this film up for immunity to outlast the competition. PAIGE Send Help is a return to form for writer/director Sam Raimi. Though it unfortunately suffers from odd editing choices and outdated, flat out bad VFX, this dark horror comedy is filled with blood, gore, and plenty of Raimi’s signature camp. The story itself is a hell of a ride and is elevated by its two leads, Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. McAdams delivers a batshit crazy performance that’s so much fun to watch, while O’Brien perfectly nails the role of douchebag boss. While the movie does become a bit repetitive at times, it manages to remain entertaining throughout. BODE It’s been a while since we’ve seen Sam Raimi in such a sadistically funny register, let alone in an R-rated environment altogether. Send Help provides the opportunity for him to do both, and in those moments where the Hollywood genre meister is really cooking, it’s a romp - especially with such committed performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien at the centre of it. And while those moments aren’t sparse, the near two-hour runtime does give way to some repetitiveness and an uneven balance of tone. It’s entertaining, no doubt, but short of greatness. AMARÚ It takes balls to make Rachel McAdams the ugly outcast looked over at work (because, c’mon, it’s Rachel McAdams) but her massive talent makes Send Help ’s stereotypical opening a marvelous set up for hilarious catharsis and delicious pay off. McAdams and Dylan O’Brien’s delirious two-man game is perfect for long-time director/composer collaborators Sam Raimi and Danny Elfman to deliver campy, dark, horror comedy that’s quintessential to their best work. It gets slightly repetitive, and a bit long-in-the-tooth at times, but Send Help is a blast of a canvas for O’Brien, McAdams, Raimi, and Elfman to playfully paint.

YOU PEOPLE Starring: Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Jay, Nia Long, and David Duchovny Director: Kenya Barris AMARÚ Lauren London and Jonah Hill are too cute together in You People for their story to be so underdeveloped. Instead of a full-fledged narrative, director Kenya Barris just strung together a loose collection of random rom-com scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I chuckled at Hill’s patented awkwardness and a toned-down Eddie Murphy (more at Eddie than Hill, though), but aside from an ending that’s much better realized than its lead up, this one had me reaching for something more. More cohesion. More Eddie being Eddie. More trust in London and Hill to carry a genuine story. But hey, it was cute, though. NICK The more I think about You People , the less I like it. It packages itself as a more unique story than it actually is while constantly contradicting itself. For example, Ezra (Jonah Hill) has a successful podcast about "The Culture," yet he's often portrayed as the white man who doesn't know black things. It's a joke that was already played out and is relied on far too heavily here. Still, there are some jokes that work and solid performances (Julia Louis-Dreyfus is perfectly cast), but avoiding stereotypes with Hill’s character by focusing on the dysfunction of the parents would have made for a better film. QUENTIN Although You People ends up exactly where you’d expect, it’s not without some laughs along the way. That said, mileage will vary on just how much you laugh because so many of the jokes and references require some level of insider knowledge. For example, if you don’t know much about Louis Farrakhan’s stance on Jewish people (I do), Drake’s discography (I don’t), or the name of a certain Jay-Z/Kanye collab (I do), those jokes fall completely flat. Also, director Kenya Barris’ music video-inspired, snapshots-of-LA scene transitions are overdone. Still, the performances mostly work, and the jokes that do land make for a decently entertaining watch. JOSEPH You People is the smartest, most straightforward rom-com I’ve seen in a long time. Following a Meet the Parents meets Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner premise, You People offers an earnest look at modern-day race relations. That being said, it never feels ridiculously heavy, instead using the comedy to lighten the very real issues the film brings up. The cast is phenomenal, and they had me laughing out loud multiple times, putting a smile on my face while also making me cringe. It’s smart and respectable, but most importantly, it’s entertaining. DARRYL You People survives mainly on the chemistry between Jonah Hill and Lauren London. Their scenes together, along with Hill's scenes with Sam Jay, make for the best romance and comedic elements of the film. Kenya Barris and Hill’s script is impressively balanced between great inside humor catered to the culture and clichéd and hammy dialogue. Plus, what could have made for a fresh update on 1967's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner instead opts for surface-level humor while leaning on Hill’s charm. Barris' direction is sharp and inventive, though, making for a great weeknight movie to watch with a significant other. PAIGE You People never really finds its footing with its narrative while also being staggeringly unfunny and filled with cringe-worthy dialogue to boot. It seems like Jonah Hill and director Kenya Barris, who co-wrote the film together, had good intentions with what they wanted to execute with this interracial rom-com, but it tries way too hard to be relevant. Hill’s self-deprecating charm is the only tolerable thing going for this feature, and overall, the film feels like a sloppy juggling act that ends up abandoning all of its heavy topics to just be a surface-level social satire.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elias Kacavas, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin Director: Nia Vardalos CALEB My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is a frustratingly aimless rom-com that fails to deliver either romance or comedy. Instead of having a central conflict like the original, this narrative operates like a revolving door of pointless sub-plots that seem to come and go on a whim. The cast mostly just meanders around Greece, occasionally indulging in some sappy familial melodrama to keep the audience awake. If you like these characters enough to watch them go on vacation, then maybe this movie is for you. However, if you enjoy movies where things actually happen, you may want to sit this one out. PRESTON It’s my fault really, because… what did I expect?! All the Windex in the world can’t save this third outing. The only acceptable explanation for its failure is that the whole crew was reunited for a few drinks, reminded of their roles, and were then instructed to henceforth improv with unwarranted stage-like exuberance. The script is so frustratingly ill-prepared that all of the outrageous one-liners and once-funny Greek hubris fall completely flat. My advice: if you were a fan of My Big Fat Greek Wedding , avoid this rendition and rewatch the original again if you are feeling nostalgic. PHILL The My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise has always been unremarkable, but the first film had some charm, and its simple culture-crossing love story was sweet enough to carry it through - all things the third film in this trilogy are not. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is deeply unfunny, and so poorly edited that it can barely be called competent. Scenes are very loosely connected, with character arcs having beginnings and incredibly unearned endings, but no middle. Everything about this third entry falls incredibly flat, and it sorely misses the late Michael Constantine’s Gus, who was the heart of the previous two films. JACOB It’s a real shame that the My Big Fat Greek Wedding trilogy as a whole can’t live up to the first film’s charm, but even disconnected from its franchise roots, this third entry probably wouldn’t be very good on its own either. Apart from the premise and shared characters, there’s not much it has to say about why its own story is important, other than that we should think it is. Scenes come and go with an occasionally funny moment, and there are some neat new characters, but ultimately there’s little to actually hold onto in terms of real quality.

SPIDERHEAD Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett, and Mark Paguio Director: Joseph Kosinski JOSEPH Spiderhead is a nice surprise. Chris Hemsworth steals every scene he’s in, bringing a maniacal glee to the role. It also is a testament to just how good of a performer Hemsworth is. From a story perspective, Spiderhead has its hits and misses. Sometimes it feels like its moving a little too slowly, and while the finale is exciting, the overall resolution leaves something to be desired. Still, I think the high concept and solid performances are enough to make Spiderhead a worthwhile watch. NICK Story wise, Spiderhead conjures up memories of The Island and Ex Machina , and although it’s more predictable than those films, the performance of Chris Hemsworth makes it work. Hemsworth has a blast every minute he’s on screen, and when he’s absent, the film takes a noticeable hit. That’s not to say anything of the performances from Miles Teller and especially Jurnee Smollett, but this is The Chris Hemsworth Show. Spiderhead also makes for another solid outing from director Joseph Kosinski following the success of Top Gun: Maverick . It may not reach the heights of that film, but Spiderhead is still a fun ride. JACOB Joseph Kosinski’s Spiderhead isn’t a total bore, but it feels as if the story being told was meant to be in a miniseries format at first, then squeezed down to about two hours. Almost none of the characters actually receive the development they need to carry this narrative, and the idea of the location itself never really gets any traction beyond it simply being the setting. The film does attempt to grapple with some interesting concepts, but never actually explores them; without Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller to keep its poorly-structured weight afloat, it likely would have sunk entirely. QUENTIN With its strong Ex Machina vibes, a charismatic performance from Chris Hemsworth, and a terrific yacht rock soundtrack, Spiderhead is a fun little slice of thrilling intrigue, even if it’s never quite as good as the sum of its parts. Truthfully, my only real complaint is that a lot of the movie, both characters and plotlines, is underdeveloped. Revelations are made without much build up, so they don’t quite resonate the way director Joseph Kosinski probably wants them to. That said, this lone flaw never makes the movie less than engrossing, but it does drop Spiderhead from potentially great to merely pretty good. PAIGE Spiderhead has an intriguing premise and a great cast, but overall, it is not a winning bingo card. This sci-fi thriller is a bland pill to swallow, honestly. Despite the success director Joseph Kosinski just had with Top Gun: Maverick , this film unfortunately comes with side effects of nausea, headaches, and disappointment. The concept needed more meat to its bones, and it left me feeling like it was missing a whole other layer. Still though, it’s enjoyable enough due to the performances of Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller.

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER Starring: Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Chris Walley, Jon Jon Briones, Stefan Kapicic, Aisling Franciosi, Woody Norman, Martin Furulund, Nikolai Nikolaeff, and Javier Botet Director: André Øvredal JACOB For a film set almost entirely on the water, it’s a disheartening thing to witness just how dry The Last Voyage of the Demeter actually is in nearly every respect. Apart from some neat creature prosthetics (which are seldom seen) and a so-so action sequence (which lasts all of one minute), the film is essentially two hours of waiting for something interesting to happen, only to cut to the next scene every time something does. The bones of a solid creature feature are there; there’s just no meat on them. Even the largely solid cast can’t overcome bad pacing. PRESTON With The Last Voyage of the Demeter , I felt like I was also on an excruciatingly long and uncomfortable voyage across the vast sea expanse of a cherry-picked Bram Stoker excerpt, whose primary merit is that it substitutes itself perfectly in this particular trope. The dialogue is strained while the storytelling flip-flops between the protagonist’s search for meaning and a confusing epistolary narration that only adds to the inconsistency felt from beginning to thankful end. The haphazard attempts at character development simply fail, and I found myself rooting for the “demon,” if only to get closer to the journey’s conclusion. QUENTIN While The Last Voyage of Demeter isn’t a must see, I’m not as down on it as my cohorts. Sure, it drags at times, which is to be expected when a single book chapter is stretched out to fill a 119-minute movie, but it does decently well in maintaining an atmosphere of dread and foreboding throughout. This is mostly thanks to director André Øvredal’s use of light and shadows to successfully build upon the notion that the scariest thing is the thing you can’t see. Don’t read into this as a comparison of quality, but it’s kinda like Alien on a Victorian-era merchant ship. ADRIANO The Last Voyage of the Demeter squanders so much potential that it’s borderline tragic. A horror movie about Dracula (Javier Botet) massacring folks on a boat? Sounds like a blast, right? Well, unfortunately, director André Øvredal made the idea just way too bland to enjoy. Its talented cast is mostly wasted, and the scares rely less on tension and more on Dracula jumping at the screen, hoping to God that counts as scary. And above all, I was just bored, which is the last thing I should have been for this movie. A fun idea that never once sets sail. CALEB As a fan of André Øvredal’s direction, I had high hopes for The Last Voyage of the Demeter . I love the idea of Dracula (Javier Botet) massacring sailors, but I can’t deny how bored I felt throughout most of its runtime. The one-note characters keep the film from having any stakes, which isn’t great when you’re dealing with a vampire. Dracula’s skeletal design was spooky, but poorly lit cinematography, quick cutting, and muddy effects really takes the wind out of his sails. I was hoping to give Demeter the benefit of the doubt, but I just couldn’t sink my teeth into this one.